Comfort and Warmth

You can bet that if there was food involved in any of my special memories, I can tell you all about it.  The flavors, colors, and textures of everything from the sausage, biscuits and gravy that Grandma S made and the thick slices of ham on tortillas with mustard at Grandma I's house, to my Mama's lasagna that I always asked for on my birthday, to the stuffed shrimp I enjoyed when Charlie took me to his Senior prom, give great dimension to my happy past.  Orange soda reminds me of the first time I had lunch at Charlie's apartment in college.  Doctored up mac & cheese, oreos and milk, and 7 layer dip bring back memories of dear friendships in junior high and high school.  York Peppermint Patties (my all time favorite candy) taste like Christmas.

I like to make a special treat occasionally on Thursdays, as it is milk delivery day (delicious, fresh, organic milk from a local dairy!) and nothing beats a nice cookie and a glass of milk during the afternoon slump.  I have recently acquired copious amounts of Raisin Bran cereal and the 5 and under crowd tend to prefer oatmeal, fruit, and toast for breakfast.  That leaves a ton of Raisin Bran for Charlie and me! 

While surveying the contents of my pantry, I realized that I had all the ingredients for one of those foods that brings back my happy memories: Raisin Bran cookies!  They are chewy on the inside and crispy around the edge.  Their simplicity is one of their greatest attributes.  When the first batch came out of the oven, I took advantage of the fact that if one is baking for others, one must "taste test" the product before serving it!  As soon as I took that first bite, I had to go hide away in the stair case where the littles wouldn't hover.  That bite seemed to transform time and place and I felt like a little girl in the comfort and warmth of my mother's kitchen. 

I'd sit at the round table in the breakfast nook (where many great memories have been had!) and munch away on her cookies.  I'd swipe them off the counter by the fridge where she placed them on layers of newspaper and paper towel to cool.  I'd hope she didn't notice how many I had eaten!  

It almost brought tears to my eyes as I watched my gaggle of girls surround me and try their first tentative bites of new cookies.  They exclaimed their approval, begged for more, and reminded me of how generations are connected...what joy!

What dishes bring back happy memories for you?

Mama's Raisin Bran Cookies

2 C Raisin Bran crushed to 1 1/2 C
2 C flour (can use 1 C white and 1 C wheat)
1 t baking soda
3/4 C softened butter
1/2 C packed brown sugar
2/3 C granulated sugar
2 eggs

1. Stir together cereal, flour, and soda.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add flour mixture.  Drop onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 325* for 12-14 min.

Daybook January 25

Obviously I have not been able to make it to my blog in the last month!  There have been so many times that I sat down to start and all sorts of needs crop up and alas, my vocation has taken priority over my little corner of the internet.

There's been so much going on and so many interesting things I'd love to write about, but I thought I'd do a quick update tonight with a Daybook.  I just want to get my feet wet as I get back into blogging! :-)

Outside my window … there's too much ice...it hasn't snowed since we've been back home and all the snow melt has turned into brutal ice.  It's cold, not too cold, but cold enough to freeze my walkways every night.  Needless to say, this does not turn out well for the small children.  Or me.  (I'm still nursing some bruises from a fall last week!) 

I am listening to... quiet.  All is quiet except for the History Channel in the background.

I am wearing... my favorite black merrell boots (these have a great story...I've been wanting them since we moved to CO and Charlie found them for an incredible deal on ebay just before winter this year - they have changed my winter experience!), a sweet khaki wrap skirt Charlie picked out for me, and a pretty cowl neck black sweater.  I also experimented with dark brown eye shadow today.  I liked it.

I am thinking … about starting the baby on solid foods.  I'm thinking about trying this Happy Baby organic brown rice cereal.  I've kind of forgotten how to do baby foods with babies, as I completely skipped the this stage with my last one!  She went straight from nursing to chewing solids.

I am thankful for … a full pantry, a stocked freezer and fridge, and plenty of drug store items stocked up.  I don't take this for granted, as there was a time not so long ago that this was not the case.  I can't help but open my pantry and declare that God is Good!!!

I am reading … The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood by Dr. Sears.  I'm a bit of a Dr. Sears junkie and so I'm loving it.  

On my iPod... I just purchased 4 new albums!  Crazy Love by Michael Buble (I'm hooked on All I Do is Dream of You, especially now that I've discovered how much I like the movie Singing in the Rain) has been the one I've been listening to the most.  I'm also really enjoying Madeline Peyroux's album Careless Love.  So charming.

I am hoping …   that it's not misery to go to the dentist this week.  We shall see.  lol

On my mind … a lot.  God is working.  We put our lives in His hands!

We’re learning … Felicity's on the brink of fluid reading.  Gab is memorizing our phone numbers (her own idea haha).  Colette is learning how to share.

Noticing that … I need to make time to run again.  I miss it.

Pondering these words … "The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it." - Margaret Sanger

What a tragedy.  What kind of broken heart speaks these words and truly believes them?  How sad.

From the kitchen … tonight we had pan seared talapia w/ lemons and capers, baked sweet potatoes w/ organic cinnamon (my new favorite food!), homemade beer bread, and spinach salads.  As a special treat, I made homemade peanut butter ice cream with reeces peanut butter cups.

Around the house … I need to catch up on my housework.  The common areas are clean and
picked up.  Healthy meals are being prepared.  Quality time is being
spent with the husband and children.  On the flip side, laundry is
piling up.  2-3 rooms really need to some TLC.  It's been hard since we
got home.  Unpacking from a month gone, then I was sick, and my crazy
baby doesn't sleep much during the day anymore (though she's a great
night time sleeper!).  It'll get done.

One of my favorite things … menu plans.  Boy do they make life easier.  Up tomorrow: Chicken Tortilla Soup.  mmmmmm

A picture I am sharing …

Here's one of my favorites from Disney World.  I haven't taken many pictures since we've been home.